Abstract:

Aqueous and methanol extracts of Salvadora persica L., a plant used in Iraq for oral hygiene, was investigated for its antimicrobial activities against 7 isolated oral pathogens: Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus faecalis, Streptococcus pyogenis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans using disc diffusion and micro-well dilution assays. According to both antimicrobial assays the aqueous extract inhibited all isolated microorganisms, especially the Streptococcus species, and was more efficient than the methanol extract, which was resisted by Lacto. acidophilus and Ps. aeruginosa. The strongest antibacterial activity was observed using the aqueous extract against Strep. faecalis (zone of inhibition: 22.3 mm; MIC: 0.781 mg/ml). Both extracts had equal antifungal activity against C. albicans based on the turbidity test (MIC: 6.25 mg/ml).

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